This invention relates primarily to saliva ejector constructions for use by dentists on patients, and more particularly to such saliva ejectors which are comfortable for the patient, and yet which present an end configuration to almost completely remove saliva and cooling water for the drill from the inside bottom of the patient""s mouth.
Many types of saliva ejectors have been used in an attempt to provide an ejector that both protects the oral tissue of the patient, and is comfortable for that patient, as well as being an effective means for removing much of the saliva from a patient""s mouth during dental procedures.
For decades now, many structures have been proposed for either or both of maintaining the efficiency of saliva ejectors, and providing comfort to the patient. For instance, valves have been installed for controlling the suction of such devices. Also, valve control schemes have been proposed. Furthermore, control holes and variations in sizes and shapes for the ejection passages have been designed.
More specifically, Segerdal has patented a saliva ejector to overcome the drawbacks known to exist in available saliva ejectors in order to provide comfort to the patient and to perform the ejection efficiently, in his U.S. Pat. No. 5,441,410. However, by Segerdal""s installing a thin disk-like guard to prevent patient""s discomfort by preventing aspiration of the patient""s tissue at the bottom of the mouth, and since the disk is never exactly parallel to the bottom of the patient""s mouth, the tissue is sometimes aspirated and still leads to discomfort problems for the patient.
Likewise, Batch has presented, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,373,492, a more elaborate compressible spring at the tip of the saliva ejector, which purportedly lowers the discomfort level for the patient.
In both of the above patented structures, the prevention of discomfort is neither as effective as the present invention, nor does it present a simplicity and efficiency of design as will become apparent for the present invention.
Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a saliva ejector, which is simple in its construction, efficient in its operation and comfortable for the patient with which it is used.
A further and more particular object of the present invention is to provide a saliva ejector which makes use of the available basic design of saliva ejectors, but adds an element at the end thereof, which presents a curved rather than an edged surface for contact with the tissue inside and at the bottom of the patient""s mouth, and yet presents a minimum additional tip protrusion toward the bottom of the patient""s mouth, so as to make use of the vertical slots presently available for efficiently removing saliva accumulating at the bottom of the patient""s mouth.
These and other objects of the present invention are provided in a saliva ejector which features disposability and simplicity of design and a significant reduction in the discomfort such an instrument provides to the patient. A typical saliva ejector features an elongated ejector tube, from the end of which, outside of the patient""s mouth, a suction or vacuum capability is applied sufficiently to remove unwanted build-up of saliva at the bottom inside of the patient""s mouth. As is usual with such instruments, at the other end, the tip of the passage for insertion to the patient""s mouth is generally after a U-shaped bend and includes a tip opening surrounded by a plurality of vertical slots arranged perpendicularly to the plane of the opening. In the present invention structure, parallel to the plane of the opening, and slightly inward of the passage therefrom, a disk smaller than the diameter of the passage, is provided, to which is attached a sphere or a slightly egg-shaped sphere. If the long axis of an egg-shaped sphere is arranged perpendicular to the axis of the passage, and it is attached to the disk, only some of the egg-shaped element protrudes beyond the tip, where the vertical slots end. Likewise, if the attached element is truly spherical, the protrusion beyond the tip is also minimal. The protruded element thereby presents a completely rounded surface to provide virtually no discomfort to the patient; and since the aspiration by the suction takes place around the upper half of the sphere, which is inside the passage, such aspiration provides little if any discomfort to the patient, and yet efficiently removes saliva from the bottom inside of the patient""s mouth.